Building relationships purely with microblogs like Facebook and Twitter where you are limited to just handful of words is building a personal life on only first dates. You can fill your calendar, but what do you have at the end?

Blogging is hard, just like it is hard to build meaningful relationships offline. It takes sustained effort, more than a few words, and thoughtful connections. But the rewards are great – developing a true connection with the individuals you reach.

There are no shortcuts to a solid relationship, but here are my top tips for successful blogging:

Be regular. Decide on a frequency you can sustain and post regularly (once a month, once a week, etc.)

Be yourself. Write in the same way that you would talk to your audience in person.